Geraldine used to really notice the smell of kitty litter when she went to visit her new neighbors, and she tried not to stay too long at their house.Now, she doesn't notice the smell at all when she visits.Geraldine's change in responsiveness illustrates the learning process known as:
A)habituation
B)sensitization
C)second-order conditioning
D)negative reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process by which an organism becomes less responsive to a stimulus after repeated exposure. In this case, Geraldine has become less responsive to the smell of kitty litter after repeated exposure to it, which is why she no longer notices it. Sensitization is the opposite process, in which an organism becomes more responsive to a stimulus after repeated exposure. Second-order conditioning involves pairing a conditioned stimulus with a new stimulus to create a second conditioned stimulus. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Geraldine Used to Really Notice the Smell of Kitty Litter